Butterflies and the Arrow of Time
by Longing for Oblivion
Summary: After Peyton agreed to come back to NYC and to give it a second try Mac couldn't be happier, but when tragedy strikes he can't help wishing he had never asked her to stay. Post-ep to "Point Of View". Rating will go up later.
1. Stay

_**Discs.:** __Unfortunately I don't own CSI NY nor its characters..._

_**Summary:**__ After Peyton agreed to come back to NYC and to give it a second try Mac couldn't be happier, but when tragedy strikes he can't help wishing he had never asked her to stay._

_**Pairing:** __Peyton/Mac_

_**Genres:**__ Romance, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Tragedy_

_**Spoilers:** __There are spoilers for season three and season six episode 22 "Point of View", though you should have a general idea of what happened in between..._

_**A/N:** __Okay, some of you might be wondering why I started writing another new story when I already got so many unfinished ones. Well, first of all I don't wanna forget what I wanted to write and furthermore - after watching "Point of View" I just had to write this... I mean, I __loved__ Peyton and it made me so sad when I found out that she won't be back for the fourth season - so it made me really happy when I read that she was gonna be on that eppy! The title of this chapter is based on a song called "Stay" by Lisa Loeb. Anyway, since I finally figured out what will happen in the later chapters I decided to repost this first chapter with a decent summary, I also corrected some spelling mistakes. Have fun reading!_

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**Butterflies and the Arrow of Time**

_1. Stay_

Surprise. Surprise was probably still the best word to describe what he had felt when he had seen her, though even surprise wasn't really the right word for it.

At first he had actually believed he was seeing things, that she wasn't really there... But despite the fact that he had first refused to believe his eyes he had gotten immediately overwhelmed by memories.

Somehow the entire situation seemed almost surreal to him... All this time - ever since he had received her letter, ever since he had realized that she was right with what she had written - he had tried to imagine what it would be like if they ever met again. He had thought it would be awkward to see her again considering how it had ended but surprisingly that wasn't the case - instead it simply felt good to see her...

Mac sighed and shook slightly his head, before taking the cup of tea and heading back to the living-room. As he approached her Peyton turned to look at him and he handed her the cup.

After she had taken the cup from him Peyton glanced once more out of the window, while he simply looked at her. Eventually he broke the silence,

"I didn't wanna be right about Kevin Scott, Peyton."

She turned toward him and stated,

"Wasn't exactly how I imagined seeing you again." With that she smiled for a moment.

"Everything about the two of us was always unpredictable." He pointed out.

"That's why it was so great." Peyton went silent for a moment and they shared a look,

"I'm so sorry for the way I ended everything. You deserved so much better than that. I needed to be with my family in London and I didn't wanna change my mind." She paused again and he could tell it wasn't easy for her to tell him this,

"I didn't want to have to see you, look you in the eye and choose between you and them."

"I understand the choice you made, I just don't understand the way you handled it. You gave me no chance..." He told her, before admitting,

"And I missed you."

It was actually not the entire truth for he in fact still missed her at times. Sure, he wasn't thinking about her anymore as much as he used to after he had left London, but there were still times when he began reminiscing, when he wondered how she was doing.

As she lifted her right hand to his shoulder and stepped closer, there was a softness - a longing in her eyes that made his heart beat faster. For a moment he was tempted to just give in, to simply lean in and kiss her, but then he hesitated. It wasn't like he didn't feel that same longing he had also seen in her eyes, it wasn't like he didn't yearn to kiss her, but even though the temptation, the yearning was almost overwhelming he simply couldn't give in to his still existing feelings.

He could tell by the look upon her face that she was hurt by his reluctance, but despite everything else he came to the conclusion that it was better this way - for both of their sakes. After all, eventually she would have to go back to London, back to work - and giving in to those feelings would only make it that much harder for both of them when she had to leave.

He let his head hang, being unable to look directly at her. After a moment he eventually glanced back at her as she broke the silence.

"So... Dr Aubrey... Do you like her?"

"Dr Hunter? We're just friends." He replied.

"We started out as just friends." Peyton pointed out and gazed out of the window.

"You're jealous?" Mac wanted to know, causing her to look back at him and he smiled.

She kept silent for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face, before nodding slightly.

"Yeah..."

Hearing that his smile widened and he stated,

"Good." With that he looked out of the window.

Peyton's jaw dropped and her eyes widened slightly, and without a warning she punched him playfully against his left upper arm.

"Ow..." As he looked back at her he saw a bright smile appear on her face as he said,

"I'm still wounded here, you know."

Peyton stepped closer to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and he put his left arm around her waist. A few seconds later she kissed him on his left cheek, causing him to close his eyes for a moment. Opening them again he looked at Peyton, who soon rested her head against his shoulder.

As she glanced out the window again Peyton pointed out,

"You can see an aweful lot through this window..."

Seeing the teenage girl and her boyfriend kissing each other and the girl's mother walking toward the front-door of the apartment Mac couldn't help but grin and told Peyton,

"Uh oh, that's gonna be good..."

Peyton pulled slightly back, observing carefully what happened and couldn't help but chuckle as the two teenagers jumped up and the mother kicked her daughter's boyfriend out. The moment the front-door was closed the mother and the girl started yelling at each other, before the daughter stormed off to another room, causing her mother to shake her head in resignation.

"At least it doesn't seem like you will get bored to death until your ribs have healed." Peyton joked and grinned at him.

"Hopefully..." He said and after a moment of consideration he asked,

"You're hungry?"

"Now that you're mentioning it - yeah, in fact I'm actually starving..." Peyton replied, her grin widening.

"Well, then how about ordering some food? You pick..." Mac stated and they shared a smile.

For a moment a thoughtful frown appeared on her face, eventually her smile widened and she suggested,

"How about some Thai?"

"Sounds great." Mac agreed and pulled out his cell phone to order.

While Mac was on the phone Peyton already sat down on the couch and simply observed him. Only a moment passed before she got lost in her thoughts. If she was honest with herself she had to admit that when she had left London she hadn't even considered once that she could meet Mac during her stay in New York.

But then again everything that had happened in the passed two days had been far from what she had expected her trip to be and the truth was none of it had really sunk in yet...

When he had hung up the phone Mac took a seat next to her, causing Peyton to focus her attention back on him and they locked eyes for a while.

After a moment a soft smile formed on Peyton's face as she thought about when Mac had called her the passed day... She had been taken totally aback by his call, but even more she was surprised by the fact that she had barely been able to say something in response, by how her heart had started beating faster - it just was completely beyond her how the simple tone of his voice was still already enough to affect her like this.

Despite the fact that it had by now been almost three years since she had chosen to return to London permanently she couldn't deny that she still had feelings for Mac. The truth was there hadn't passed a single day since she had last seen him that she hadn't been thinking about him - that she hadn't been missing him.

All this time she had tried to imagine what it would be like to see him again, had wondered what she would say to him. She had thought Mac would be mad at her for what she had done, for writing that letter, in fact she had expected him to not even want to speak a single word with her.

But then again, just like Mac had said himself - everything about them had always been unpredictable, so maybe she shouldn't be _**that**_ surprised...

Seeing the thoughtful expression on Peyton's face Mac couldn't help smiling. For a moment he just looked at her, wondering what she was thinking about while trying to ignore the urge to reach out and caress her cheek.

Before he was able to figure out what she could be thinking about the door-bell rang, causing Peyton to snap out of her thoughts and they exchanged a glance.

When Mac moved to get up Peyton reached for his shoulder and told him with a soft smile upon her face,

"I'll go and get the food."

After a few seconds of thinking and considering that Peyton was already getting up Mac relaxed and stayed where he was, while Peyton was heading for the door.

As Peyton returned she was carrying not only the take-out but also two glasses and a bottle of water as well as forks. Putting those things down onto the coffee-table she sat down and a moment later they started eating in perfect silence.

_A few minutes later:_

Setting her glass back down after taking a sip of her water Peyton broke eventually the comfortable silence and asked,

"So, what happened since you returned to New York?"

Mac stopped chewing for a moment, a thoughtful frown appearing on his face, then he continued chewing, swallowed and shrugged, before replying,

"Well, right when I got back someone used vandalizing the Statue of Liberty to get our attention -the guy killed the witnesses of a murder because they had refused to come forward in the canvass after the murder. I kept getting those annonymous phone calls - a couple of months later it turned out that the brother of an old friend was behind it. He blamed me for the death of his oldest brother..." Mac paused and took a sip of water before continuing,

"We had to catch a female assassin... A few months later a psychotic cab-driver started terrorizing the city by killing people that made the mistake to get inside his cab, during the investigation a cop from Jersey got killed because some cab-drivers thought he was the killer and Reed got almost killed by the guy..." A sigh escaped his mouth,

"I was taken hostage in a bank, because the bank robber wanted someone from the crime lab to prove that he hadn't killed the bank director - turned out he actually had killed the man. We had a case involving an entire house being moved from one end of the city to the other. The victim's wife killed him because he was having affairs and she didn't want to get a divorce. Their daughter felt responsible because some time before he died they had met in an annonymous online chat-room and he had flirted with her, she had sent him a card threatening him to tell her mother - and her mother killed him because she had found that card." Mac went silent for a moment,

"The daughter got kinda fixated on me - she showed up while I was doing some grocery-shopping, forged evidence to have a reason to show up at the lab..." He shook his head and chose not to mention Ella's suicide attempt,

"A wanna-be Indiana Jones and two other men were killed because they got in the way of some Greek antique smugglers. Due to the fact that major case got assigned to the case Stella decided to go after them herself - together with Angell. In the end all four smugglers died... Lindsay and Danny got married and have now a daughter..." Mac trailed off.

"Well, at least not everything was only work and bad stuff." Peyton pointed out.

"I guess..." Mac agreed, then he told her,

"But mainly it was indeed work... Adam got almost fired due to the budget cuts. We had a case where the victim was killed with microwaves. Flack was accused of having killed a teenager during interrogation. Then there was a local financial crisis causing some officials to simply stop paying the employees of the NYPD - resulting in most cops refusing to work. The strike was over not much later because Robert Dunbrook donated a huge amount of money to the city. That, however, couldn't help him either when his illegal activities got uncovered while we were investigating in a homocide case. His son decided to testify against him considering that he had to face murder-charges himself..." His facial expression darkened as he continued,

"In the end that's also what led to Angell's death..."

After a short while Peyton wanted to know,

"What happened?"

"When Dunbrook's son was supposed to testify in front of the Grand Jury Angell and two other cops were assigned to keep an eye on him. Dunbrook junior invited them for breakfast and some former Army members attacked the diner in order to abduct him for ransom - they shot her in the process." Mac bit his bottom lip, then he added,

"She died in surgery."

"My God... She was still so young..." Peyton mumbled, a sad expression on her face, after a moment of silence she inquired,

"Did you catch the responsible people?"

"Yeah, we found and arrested them - except of the guy who actually killed her." Mac answered and seeing the questioning expression on Peyton's face he said,

"Flack shot him..." Mac chose to leave it at that and Peyton didn't say anything in response.

Eventually they focused back on eating, remaining both quiet for the time being and Mac got lost in his thoughts again.

After a while his mind drifted off to all the things that had happened since he had left London because he had to get back to work, thought about all the good things that had happened since then, about all the bad things - until his mind reached the most recent events, his near-death-experience...

Mac wasn't sure how much time had passed when Peyton's voice interrupted his train of thought.

"A penny for your thoughts..." She said softly, causing him to focus his attention on her and they shared a smile.

He frowned for a short moment then he told her,

"I was just thinking about what would have - could have happened if the circumstances had been different in any kind of way... About the fact that there's at least something positive coming from that guy trying to kill me by pushing me over that railing..."

Hearing that Peyton gave him a look, one eyebrow raised and asked half joking, half worried,

"Could it be that you took a little too much of those painkillers?"

"Nope..." Mac stated in response and smiled.

"Then how come that you find something positive in that?" Peyton inquired, a serious - almost angry - expression on her face.

Mac's smile widened, causing Peyton's frown to deepen, and he pointed out,

"Well, Peyton think about it... If this guy hadn't pushed me over that railing I won't have any broken ribs..."

"My point exactly!" Peyton interrupted angrily,

"And besides - you could be dead because of what this guy did."

"True, but if I had no broken ribs I won't have to stay at home. I would have been working instead of sitting here at home and spying on my neighbors to use your words. I would never have seen the briefcase being delivered to Kevin Scott, I won't have seen the guy who delivered it, or the canister, or how Kevin poisoned the canary. I won't have seen you arrive..." He paused for a moment,

"If I wasn't stuck at home due to my injuries we would never have found the link between the John Doe and Kevin, we won't have found out that he had been poisoned with Sarin, or what Kevin Scott was planning with the poison. I won't have found the blueprints, meaning that we won't have figured out in time what his target was and nobody would have stopped Kevin from putting his plan in action, resulting in every guest of the benefit to die - including you..." He trailed off and they locked eyes for a moment.

_Around midnight:_

After they had finished eating they had started watching a movie, neither of them being willing to already part. However, Mac barely paid attention to what was happening on the screen of the TV, instead he got eventually lost in thought for another time.

He just couldn't help but think about his relationship with Peyton, thought once more about the moment when he had seen her in Kevin Scott's apartment - and he realized for yet another time just how much he had actually missed her, how much she still meant to him.

Eventually he wondered what would have happened in the passed two years if he had decided to actually fly to London in order to change Peyton's mind after he had received her letter. What might have happened if he had been able to make her reconsider her decision. Maybe everything would be entirely different now if Peyton hadn't left New York...

But eventually he pushed those thoughts away, after all, there was no real point in wondering about all those "what-ifs", now was there?

Another moment later he moved slightly his head to take a look at Peyton, who had rested her head against his left shoulder, while he had put his left arm around her waist. Noticing that her attention was focused entirely on the movie he took the chance to study her face.

He had to admit that he hadn't been entirely honest with her earlier, when she had asked him what he was thinking about - when he had told her about the fact that he also saw something positive in being injured. Sure, he was glad that they had been able to stop Kevin Scott in time due to him being stuck at home, however, it wasn't really the main reason for him to come to the conclusion that it wasn't all that bad to have some broken ribs.

No, the real reason was actually a rather selfish one... If he won't have been injured he won't have met Peyton again - he won't have even known that she was currently in New York. And the truth was - it simply felt good that she was there right now...

Feeling Mac's eyes on her Peyton couldn't keep a soft smile from appearing on her face, however, she kept nonetheless her eyes fixated on the TV screen. There was no denying that she was happy about having seen him again, about having the chance to apologize for what she had done - for how she had ended their relationship. It felt good to know that he wasn't hating her for writing that letter and she couldn't help but close her eyes for a moment when Mac drew her closer.

_A half hour later:_

As the movie was over Mac could barely keep a sigh from escaping his mouth as Peyton straightened up and pulled back.

Turning off the TV and DVD player he exchanged a look with her. A moment later they both got up and they headed to the door. After all, it was already quite late and they both knew that she would have to go eventually - and the longer she stayed the harder it would get.

Following her to the door Mac realized that it would be hard for him to keep himself from thinking about her non-stop the following days. Seeing her again had caused the memories of their relationship to resurface, it had made him realize that it had been ridiculous to believe that he had by now moved on from what they once had...

When they had reached the door Peyton turned to look at him again and they shared a smile.

"You know, despite the circumstances it was really good to see you..." Peyton said, causing his smile to widen.

"Yeah, it certainly was." Mac agreed. It had really been great to see her, no matter how much he was gonna miss her the moment she stepped out of his door - and he knew that he was going to miss her...

Peyton looked at him and they locked eyes once more. Lifting his hand and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear he stated,

"Take care of yourself..."

At the feeling of Mac's fingertips brushing against her cheek as he brushed a strand of hair out of her face Peyton closed her eyes for a moment. Opening them again she smiled at him and replied,

"You too..." Reaching for the door-handle Peyton looked once more at him, a soft smile on her lips, and they locked eyes.

A moment later Peyton broke eventually eye-contact, trying hard to ignore the fact that her emotions were already starting to overwhelm her. She knew that she was going to miss him now even more than she already had ever since the morning he had left London and she had to admit that seeing him again had made her realize just how much she still loved him, how much it actually still hurt that she had needed to sacrifice their relationship in order to be close to her family.

As he saw how Peyton let her head and shoulders hang, Mac frowned at the thought that this almost felt like a déjà-vu. Watching her turn to leave he couldn't help but notice that he didn't really want her to go. The truth was, the simple thought of just letting her walk out of his life again was hurting more than he liked to admit and before he even fully realized what he was doing he got a hold of her hand and stated softly,

"Stay..."

_Tbc_

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_**A/N:** __Well, first of all - thank you for reading, I really hope you liked this! Second thing is, as you might have noticed I used quotes from the eppy for the conversation at the beginning and I hope that I got the quotes right - if not, I'm sorry. Anyways, please do me a favor and take the time to review!_


	2. Everything I Am

_**A/N: **__Well, due to reviews asking me to continue I chose to do you the favor and turn this into a multi-chapter story. However, I still don't know for sure where this will go, but well I guess I'm gonna figure it out eventually, right? Anyways, once again the chapter-title was inspired by a song - this time it's "Everything I Am" by Stanfour, if you know the song you're probably gonna agree that it fits perfectly. And one other thing don't be surprised or confused - I added the end of the first chapter on purpose to the beginning..._

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**Butterflies and the Arrow of Time**

_2. Everything I Am_

A moment later Peyton broke eventually eye-contact, trying hard to ignore the fact that her emotions were already starting to overwhelm her. She knew that she was going to miss him now even more than she already had ever since the morning he had left London and she had to admit that seeing him again had made her realize just how much she still loved him, how much it actually still hurt that she had needed to sacrifice their relationship in order to be close to her family.

As he saw how Peyton let her head and shoulders hang, Mac frowned at the thought that this almost felt like a déjà-vu. Watching her turn to leave he couldn't help but notice that he didn't really want her to go. The truth was, the simple thought of just letting her walk out of his life again was hurting more than he liked to admit and before he even fully realized what he was doing he got a hold of her hand and stated softly :

"Stay..."

Turning slowly back toward him she gazed up and they locked eyes. Stepping closer Mac lifted his free hand and pushed the door softly shut again. Reaching with his right hand for her face he brushed his fingertips over her cheek before leaning in, their lips meeting in a soft, lingering kiss.

Peyton's eyes flew immediately shut and after the first few seconds of surprise she lifted her hands, resting them on his shoulders.

Soon their kiss turned more and more passionate and Mac wound his left hand into her hair, resting his right on her hip. Feeling Peyton tug on his t-shirt he couldn't help smiling against her lips.

Eventually breaking the kiss in need for oxygen they shared another smile, before he leaned in and kissed her again, pulling her closer. A moment later Peyton let go of his t-shirt and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Only a few minutes later she let her arms sink as Mac reached for her shoulders, beginning to pull off her jacket. Dropping the piece of clothing to the ground he wrapped his arms around her again and began trailing kisses down the side of her throat, causing her to lean her head back and moan softly.

A moment passed like this - Mac brushing kisses over the skin of her throat, while Peyton simply kept her eyes closed, wanting to just feel and enjoy his featherlike kisses - before he started leading her to his bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes in their wake as he pulled off her top and pants.

They never broke contact for more than mere split seconds and with each touch, with every kiss they shared they abondoned reality a little more, 'til there was nothing left other than them, their feelings - that moment...

As they had entered the bedroom Peyton reached for his t-shirt again, soon her hands slipped beneath the fabric and roamed over his chest. Letting go of her he moved to pull the t-shirt off.

However, he had only pulled it half-way up when he paused for a moment as his ribs protested painfully against the movement. Peyton gave him a concerned look, but remained silent, not wanting to break the spell of the moment by speaking up.

Ignoring the pain Mac continued with pulling the t-shirt up and over his head. Dropping it he drew Peyton closer and they shared a smile before he bent down and kissed her again. A moment later he reached with his left hand around her and undid the clasp of her bra, before brushing the straps of her shoulders.

As Mac began trailing kisses down the side of her throat again Peyton simply closed her eyes for a moment. Opening them again she moved to unbuckle his belt and undo the button and zipper of his pants.

_Some time later :_

Rising to a slightly sitting position Mac looked down at Peyton, simply studying her face. Then he lifted his right hand and started caressing tenderly her face, letting his fingertips wander slowly from her cheek to her right arm.

Feeling Mac brushing his fingertips over her arm Peyton couldn't keep a smile from appearing on her face, but she chose to keep her eyes closed, just wanting to enjoy the moment. Eventually opening her eyes she looked at him.

Another moment passed in perfect silence before she mumbled softly,

"This was wonderful..."

Hearing that his smile widened and leaning down he replied just as quiet,

"Yeah, it was..." With that he tugged a strand of her behind her left ear and gave her soft kiss, causing her eyes to fly momentarily shut once more. A few seconds later he placed a soft kiss onto her right temple.

After a few seconds Peyton looked back at him and sitting up she admitted, her voice barely more than a whisper,

"You know, I missed you too..." She paused, letting her head hang she added,

"I missed you every day, wondering how you were doing...wishing there had been a way to be close to my family without losing you..." Trailing off she bit her lower lip, still refusing to look at Mac, not wanting him to see that she was about to cry.

Sitting fully up Mac lifted his right hand to Peyton's face, cupping her left chin and brushing his thumb softly over her skin he made her look back at him. Seeing her tears break free he put his left arm around her and drew her closer.

Putting his right arm around her as well he began stroking softly her back, whispering soothing words to her.

When she had calmed a bit down Mac pulled slightly back to look at her. Wiping the wet traces of her tears from her cheeks he said,

"It's okay, Peyton..." He paused and kissed her tenderly onto her forehead, then he suggested,

"How about getting some sleep now?" They locked eyes and he brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

Peyton thought for a few seconds before a tiny smile appeared on her face and she nodded slightly.

_Around half-past one AM :_

Peyton wasn't sure how much time had already passed when she woke from a light slumber. For a while she refused to open her eyes, simply enjoying the feeling of Mac lying next to her, before she willed herself to open her eyes and rose to get up.

However, just as she was about to get out of bed Mac sat up next to her. Feeling him brush with his fingertips against her left shoulder Peyton closed her eyes for a moment.

"Don't go..." He said just above a whisper, causing her to slowly turn around and look at him.

They locked eyes and eventually she nodded and mumbled,

"Okay."

Hearing that a smile crossed his face and he lay back down. A moment later Peyton rested her head and left hand on his chest, snuggling even closer to him as Mac put his left arm around her. For some time she simply listened to the calm and steady beat of his heart, before she quickly drifted off to sleep once again.

_Tbc_

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_**A/N:**__ First of all, thanks for reading! I know this update wasn't just short but it also totally sux and was probably not the least worth the wait...Anyways, I'll try to update faster this time - in the meantime, please do me a favor and REVIEW! _


	3. Conversations

_**A/N:**__ First of all, thanks for the reviews so far! Well, I honestly dunno what took me so long to get this done - though it might took so long because I've been kinda busy with rewriting a couple of other stories, or it was the fact that I'm still not quite sure where this will go...Anyways, here's finally the next chapter, have fun reading!_

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**Butterflies and the Arrow of Time**

_3. Conversations_

Waking up Mac simply kept his eyes shut for another few minutes, not willing to already face reality, to find out that it had just been yet another dream, that he had refused the urge to tell Peyton to stay...

It wasn't until he felt the warmth of a second body next to him that his mind started to catch up and a soft smile formed on his face at the realization that it hadn't just been a dream. Opening finally his eyes he turned onto his left side and rose slightly up, propping himself on his elbow.

Taking a look at Peyton, who was still deep asleep, his smile widened and for a while he simply watched her, before he lifted his hand and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. As he studied her features he noticed that she was smiling in her sleep and he couldn't help wondering what she was dreaming.

Mac wasn't quite sure how much time had passed when he bent down and gave Peyton a tender kiss onto her forehead, however, he took his time to get up, not seeing a point in rushing since he didn't have to work.

_About thirty-five minutes later :_

Feeling not only refreshed but also surprisingly relaxed after taking a shower Mac couldn't help but smile as he re-entered the bedroom. For a moment he stopped and simply looked at Peyton, before deciding to make himself first of all some coffee.

Starting the coffee-maker Mac frowned for a few seconds, not really in the mood to simply wait in the kitchen for the coffee to get ready. A moment later he left the kitchen again and headed back to the bedroom, on his way he picked Peyton's clothes up from the floor.

Entering the bedroom he went over to a chair, which stood in one corner of the room, after putting Peyton's clothes down on the chair and turning to leave his eyes stopped once more on her and he couldn't help but get aware of the fact that despite his broken ribs and injured wrist he hadn't felt this good in a felt eternity.

When he returned to the kitchen and filled a cup with the freshly brewed coffee Mac couldn't help but smile cheerfully.

Padding into the living-room a few minutes later he first went to open the windows to let some fresh air in since it was still early and not that hot. For a while he simply kept standing in front of one of the open windows and looked outside.

A moment later a cool breeze picked up and Mac just closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of the fresh air on the skin of his face and arms.

Opening his eyes again he took a sip of coffee and looked once more outside before turning around and taking a seat.

Emptying his cup Mac got up and headed to the kitchen to get some more coffee. On his way he couldn't help but start thinking about the passed night. However, only a few seconds later he got disturbed in his thoughts by a knock on his door, causing him to frown for a moment and check his watch, before changing course to see who it was.

Hearing another knock he let out a sigh and muttered,

"I'm coming..."

As he opened the door he wasn't really the least surprised to see that it was Stella considering that she had stopped by basically every morning in the passed week and if she was busy - what seemed surprisingly to be a rarity - she called to check on him.

Instead of greeting her he simply signalled for her to come in before turning around and going to the kitchen.

Refilling his cup with coffee he turned to look at Stella, who had followed him to the kitchen, and asked,

"You want some coffee?"

"Sure..." She replied and smiled, watching how he got a second cup and poured coffee into it.

After handing her the cup Mac headed together with Stella to the living-room. Taking a seat on the couch he eventually spoke up again,

"So, what brings you here? No cases to work on?"

At that Stella lifted her hand and told him,

"Well, actually I came by because I need your signature on this before I head to the lab..." Handing him the file she smirked and added, her voice slightly teasing,

"And to avoid that you get bored out of your mind I brought you these..." With that she pulled even more files out of her bag,

"I need those by tomorrow."

Hearing that Mac couldn't help shaking slowly his head, but nonetheless he put his cup down and taking a look through the file in his hands he asked,

"You got a pen?"

"Yeah..." Stella reached into her bag and soon handed him a pen,

"Where do you want me to put these?" She indicated the stack of files she was still holding.

Mac remained quiet and simply gestured for her to place them on the coffee-table, watching her put the files down he signed the file in his hands and gave it along with the pen back to Stella.

When she had put the file and pen back into her bag she looked at him and mused,

"So, seeing Peyton again must have brought back quite some memories..."

* * *

As she woke up and opened her eyes Peyton couldn't help frowning due to her unfamiliar surroundings, however, only a moment later a happy smile formed on her face at the memory of the passed night.

Releasing a soft, contented sigh Peyton turned around. She wasn't really surprised to see that Mac had already gotten up, since he had never been one to sleep long, no matter whether he had to work or not.

Sitting up after stretching for a moment she came to the conclusion that she hadn't slept this good in a felt eternity, somehow she felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. A moment later her smile widened as she realized how happy she was.

The truth was she hadn't been happy ever since she had chosen to stay in London - at least not _**really**_ happy. Sure, she had enjoyed being close to her family again, she had quickly adjusted to being back in England, her new colleagues had been great and all those things had made it easier. But still she hadn't been really happy, when she smiled there was always a glimpse of sadness in her eyes, there were times when she felt like crying in the middle of a laugh - always feeling like something was missing, like she had lost a piece of herself. Now, however, she felt like she had found that missing piece, like she was finally complete again...

After another moment of thinking she got up and went to look for Mac.

Nearing the living-room she heard him talk and stopping in the door-way she smiled for another time.

* * *

Mac thought for a moment about what Stella had said, then he smiled and replied,

"Yeah, but it was nice to see her again. It felt good to have the chance to talk about everything...To know that she's okay..." He trailed off as he saw a surprised expression appear on Stella's face.

However, before he could ask her about it he already got the answer to his unspoken question as Stella stated startled,

"Peyton..."

At that Mac frowned and turned slightly his head, following Stella's gaze he saw Peyton standing in the door-way, dressed in the black t-shirt he had worn the passed day.

"Hey Stella..." Peyton said in response, blushing slightly, after a moment she added,

"Eh, I'll go and get changed..." With that she turned around and headed back down the hallway.

Watching Peyton walk away Stella remained quiet, eventually looking back at Mac they locked eyes and she asked,

"She stayed the night?"

Mac couldn't help but sigh then he shrugged and replied,

"Yeah..." Seeing the expression on Stella's face he sighed again and added,

"What? It got late, so I suggested that she could take the spare-room instead of heading to a hotel..."

Well, it wasn't like he didn't know that she saw right through the lie, after all, there was barely anyone who knew him as good as Stella did, but still...He just didn't feel like talking about what had happened between him and Peyton with her, being quite sure of how she would react.

For a short moment Stella only studied her friend's face then she took a deep breath and inquired,

"Mac? Do you really think this is a good idea - to get emotionally and physically involved with her again?" They exchanged a look and she pointed out,

"Listen, I'm aware that you still care a lot about Peyton and I can tell that you still mean a lot to her as well, but her life is now in London...Do you really wanna do this to yourself - to both of you, do you really wanna let those old feelings resurface? After all, she will probably have to leave in a few days..."

"I know..." Mac stated matter-of-factly, simply looking up into Stella's eyes.

And while his face was perfectly guarded, his eyes gave away that he indeed knew all of those things.

"Then why did you spend the night with her?" Stella wanted to know.

Releasing a heavy sigh Mac thought for a moment about that question, having to admit to himself that it was in fact a pretty good question, eventually he stated,

"Because it felt right...Because I wanted to taste her lips once more, I wanted to wake up holding her in my arms at least one more time - treasuring each moment..." He paused for a few seconds,

"I asked her to stay last night simply because I would have probably regretted it for a very long time if I hadn't."

Stella remained quiet thinking about his reply and a moment later she nodded slightly. Before either of them was able to say anything Peyton came back, now wearing the clothes she had worn the passed evening, a small smile on her lips.

After a moment of slightly awkward silence Stella stated,

"I should probably better get to the lab now." She paused a moment before adding,

"Well, in case we don't get the chance to talk again...It was good to see you Peyton." And giving the other woman a hug she said,

"Take care of yourself."

"You too, Stella..."

Letting go of each other they shared a smile and a moment later Stella left.

After watching Stella leave Peyton turned toward Mac, just looking at him for a moment then she pointed out,

"That was kinda awkward..."

Hearing that Mac couldn't help but chuckle, causing her to frown and inquire,

"What's so funny about that?"

"Well, first of all there is the fact that Stella has a spare-key, and furthermore I'm quite sure that this would have been by far more awkward if it had been someone else from the team..." He told her matter-of-factly and smiled at her.

A thoughtful frown appeared for a few seconds on Peyton's face, eventually she nodded in agreement and stated,

"You're probably right with that assumption..." She paused, then she suggested with a smile,

"How about I make something for breakfast?"

At that a smile appeared on his face and he replied,

"That sounds quite tempting..."

Hearing that Peyton's smile widened and she went to the kitchen.

After Peyton had disappeared in the kitchen Mac couldn't help getting lost in his thoughts, his mind drifting quickly off to the passed night, to what Stella had said; maybe it had really been a bad idea to ask Peyton to stay, to sleep with her - to let himself get overwhelmed by his feelings for her...

He knew she would have to leave sooner rather than later, was aware of the fact that it was gonna hurt both of them when she had to go, but still he hadn't been able to endure the simple thought of her just walking out of his life again. And it had simply felt so right to be with her, to hold her in his arms again.

Besides, who was he trying to fool?

Already the moment he had first seen her in Kevin Scott's apartment all the memories, his feelings for her, had resurfaced. She had been all he had been able to think about ever since, all those wonderful moments he had shared with her had gone through his mind...How should he have let her simply go, when all he wanted was holding on to her - when all he wanted was making her stay somehow?

Furthermore he knew that it would also hurt terrible when she had to go if he had ignored the urge to ask her to stay - maybe it would have hurt even that much more if he had simply let her walk out the door, out of his life...

"Mac?" Peyton's voice brought him back to reality.

For a moment he only looked slightly startled at her, before he said,

"Yeah, Peyton..."

"You're okay?" She asked, worry written all over her face.

He thought for a moment then he smiled and replied,

"Yes, I'm okay...I just got kinda lost in thought, that's all..." Seeing her frown doubtful he got up from the couch and walked up to her. Drawing her into an embrace he assured her,

"Really, Peyton, I'm alright, don't worry."

Peyton stepped closer to him, resting her head and hands on his chest, and nodded slowly. After a moment of silence she told him,

"Well, I actually came to tell you that we can eat."

"Okay..." He said, inhaling her soft scent, then he leaned down and placed a soft kiss onto the top of her head, before letting go of her and following her to the kitchen.

_Around half-past nine AM :_

Sitting down on the couch after they had finished eating Mac studied carefully Peyton's face. Noticing the toughtful expression on her face he lifted his left hand and started to caress her cheek, the featherlike touch causing her eyes to fly shut, before he eventually asked,

"Is something wrong?"

Peyton remained quiet, simply enjoying the feeling of his fingertips brushing softly over her skin. As she replied she opened her eyes and smiled at him,

"No Mac...I'm okay..."

"Good." He said, smiling at her, and before his brain could tell him not to he leaned in, sharing a soft, lingering kiss with her.

Like on reflex she lifted her right hand, placing it at the back of his neck, while resting her left on his shoulder. Wrapping his arms around her he drew her closer, deepening the kiss slightly.

It didn't take long for their kiss to become more passionate and they got in silent agreement up from the couch, heading to the bedroom while starting to undress each other.

_Some time later :_

As they lay next to each other Mac drew Peyton into his arms. Resting her head on his chest, just above his heart, Peyton snuggled closer to him.

For a while they just lay there like that in perfect silence, simply relishing in each other's proximity. However, after a couple of minutes Peyton eventually broke the comfortable silence enveloping them and muttered barely above a whisper,

"What are we doing, Mac?"

He thought for a moment about her question, knowing that she wasn't refering to the obvious, she was talking about the passed night, about earlier - about the meaning of what had happened between them...

"I don't know..." He admitted after a few more seconds of thinking.

Once more they both remained quiet then he asked quietly, unsure if he really wanted to know,

"How much longer will you stay in New York?"

"A few days..." She paused, then she pointed quietly out,

"I should better leave."

"No, Peyton, don't go..." Mac said just as quiet, carefully tightening his embrace.

"Mac..." She stated, fighting with tears,

"It will already hurt enough if I leave now..." She trailed off as her tears broke free.

Feeling the first tears cascading onto his skin he felt a pang of guilt, suddenly starting to wonder if he should've just let her go the passed night, if it had been selfish to ask her to stay...

He let her cry, stroking softly her back whispering soothing words to her. When her sobs had subsided he shifted with her in his arms, so she lay on her back. Looking down at her he lifted his one hand to her face and wiping the traces of her tears away he told her,

"I know, Peyton and I'm sorry for that..." He trailed off.

For a while they both remained silent. Studying her face Mac let his fingertips brush softly over her skin. Eventually he sighed and spoke up again,

"Why don't you stay?" Locking eyes with her he hoped she would at least consider it.

Hearing that suggestion a sad expression appeared on her face and she pointed out,

"It's not that simple, Mac...I got a great job in London..."

Caressing her cheek he nodded slightly and said,

"I know, what I'm asking is quite a lot..." _Maybe too much in fact_, he thought to himself, before adding,

"But I simply can't help missing you and I don't wanna lose you a second time. If it's just about work - you could come back to the ME's Office, or you could start teaching again..."

"It's not just work...I mean, my family is in London - I got friends there...I can't just leave all of that behind all over again..." Peyton muttered.

He nodded slowly then he told her,

"I'm aware of that...But I still love you, Peyton, and I just want that you to at least think about it, that you at least consider to return to New York - to me..." He trailed off as he noticed that her eyes were glistening with new tears, and he drew her into his arms.

Snuggling closer to him her tears broke free, she was missing him so much and if she was honest all she wanted was to stay.

"I still love you as well..." She told him between her sobs,

"But what if it doesn't work, what if I decide to stay and you change your mind?"

"Listen Peyton, I'm not gonna change my mind, okay? I love you...I loved you all this time - and if I hadn't known that you missed your family I would have flown to London after I've gotten your letter and would have tried to change your mind back then." Mac stated and gave her a soft kiss,

"I would have asked you to come back and stay...But I knew it won't be fair to ask you to leave your family again. So, I decided not to fly. I thought my feelings for you would fade, that one day I would find someone who could make me as happy as you did." He paused for a short moment,

"That's been almost three years ago - and all it took for those feelings to resurface was seeing you...Trust me, Peyton, I won't change my mind. I want you to stay, I want you back in my life."

"What about Dr Hunter?" She asked, when her sobs had subsided.

Locking eyes with her he smiled and pointed out,

"Like I told you before - she's just a friend..." He gave her another kiss,

"Okay?"

Peyton only nodded slightly in response, a small smile forming on her face. A moment later they shared a passionate kiss.

_Tbc_

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Well, thanks for reading, I hope you liked the update and that it was worth the rather long waiting. I know that it's normally not Mac's style to let his guards down, still I hope it wasn't too OOC. Anyways, please do me a favor and review! Seriously, feedback is very appreciated - on all my stories!_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:**__ Here's finally the next chapter. I'm not even gonna try explaining why it took so long and just gonna let you enjoy the update... Btw I finally figured out what will happen in later chapters! Oh, and one other thing - as you will see I added the end of the last chapter to the beginning of this one, partly to refresh your memory regarding what happened last, but also for the sake of a fluent continuation and because this chapter starts right at the point where the last one ended. And well, considering that I couldn't figure out how to devide their conversation I ended up adding the entire last part, though I made some really minor changes to it... Now have fun reading!_

* * *

**Butterflies and the Arrow of Time**

_Chapter 4_

As they lay next to each other Mac drew Peyton into his arms. Resting her head on his chest, just above his heart, Peyton snuggled closer to him.

For a while they just lay there like that in perfect silence, simply relishing in each other's proximity. However, after a couple of minutes Peyton eventually broke the comfortable silence enveloping them and muttered barely above a whisper,

"What are we doing, Mac?"

He thought for a moment about her question, knowing that she wasn't refering to the obvious, she was talking about the passed night, about earlier - about the meaning of what had happened between them...

"I don't know..." He admitted after a few more seconds of thinking.

Once more they both remained silent then he asked hesitantly, unsure if he really wanted to know,

"How much longer will you stay in New York?"

"A few days..." She paused, then she pointed quietly out,

"I should better leave."

"No, Peyton, don't go..." Mac said just as quiet, carefully tightening his embrace.

"Mac..." She stated, fighting with tears,

"It will already hurt enough if I leave now..." She trailed off as her tears broke free.

Feeling the first tears cascading onto his skin he felt a pang of guilt, suddenly starting to wonder if he shouldn't have just let her go the passed night, if it had been selfish to ask her to stay...

He let her cry, stroking softly her back whispering soothing words to her. When her sobs had subsided he shifted with her in his arms, so she lay on her back. Looking down at her he lifted his one hand to her face and wiping the traces of her tears away he told her,

"I know Peyton, and I'm sorry for that..." He trailed off.

For a while they both remained silent. Studying her face Mac let his fingertips brush softly over her skin. Eventually he sighed and spoke up again,

"Why don't you stay?" Locking eyes with her he hoped she would at least consider it.

Hearing that suggestion a sad expression appeared on her face and while sitting up she pointed out,

"It's not that simple, Mac... I got a great job in London..."

Caressing her cheek he nodded slightly and said,

"I know what I'm asking for is quite a lot..." _Maybe too much in fact_, he thought to himself, before adding,

"But I simply can't help missing you and I don't wanna lose you a second time. If it's just about work - you could come back to the ME's Office, or you could start teaching again..."

"It's not just work... I mean, my family is in London - I got friends there... I can't just leave all of that behind all over again..." Peyton muttered.

He nodded slowly then he told her,

"I'm aware of that... But I still love you, Peyton, and I just want that you at least think about it, that you at least consider to return to New York - to me..." He trailed off as he noticed that her eyes were glistening with new tears, and he drew her into his arms.

Snuggling closer to him her tears broke free, she was missing him so much and if she was honest all she wanted was to stay, but it just wasn't that simple...

"I still love you as well..." She told him between her sobs,

"But what if it doesn't work, what if I decide to stay and you change your mind?"

"Listen Peyton, I'm not gonna change my mind, okay? I love you... I loved you all this time - and if I hadn't known that you missed your family I would have flown to London after I've gotten your letter and would have tried to change your mind back then." Mac stated and gave her a soft kiss. Starting to caress her cheek again he added,

"I would have asked you to come back and stay... But I knew it won't have been fair to ask you to leave your family again. So, I decided not to fly. I thought my feelings for you would fade, that one day I would find someone who could make me as happy as you did." He paused for a short moment,

"That's been almost three years ago - and all it took for those feelings to resurface was seeing you... Trust me, Peyton, I won't change my mind. I want you to stay, I want you back in my life."

"What about Dr Hunter?" She asked, when her sobs had subsided.

Locking eyes with her he smiled and pointed out,

"Like I told you before - she's just a friend..." He gave her another kiss,

"Okay?"

Peyton only nodded slightly in response, a small smile forming on her face. A moment later they shared a passionate kiss.

Feeling how Mac put his left arm around her and wound his right hand into her hair, drawing her closer, Peyton couldn't keep herself from smiling against his lips and rested her hands at the back of his neck.

When they broke the kiss in need for oxygen they shared a smile and as Mac drew her even a little bit closer Peyton wrapped her arms around him and leaned her forehead against his, closing her eyes. As Mac started letting the fingers of his right hand run through her hair she let out a soft, contented sigh.

However, only a second or two later she broke the comfortable silence and, eyes still closed, she pointed quietly out,

"You know, just because she's only a friend to you it doesn't necessarily mean that she also sees only a friend in you."

At that Mac's movements stilled for a moment. Pulling slightly back to look at her he moved his right hand to her face, letting his fingertips brush softly over her cheek he stated,

"Well, if it makes you happy I'm gonna talk with her, okay?"

Looking at Mac Peyton nodded slightly and they shared a smile. As Mac leaned in for another kiss Peyton's smile widened, her eyes flying shut for another time the moment their lips met.

After a minute or two Peyton lay back, drawing Mac down with her.

_A few hours later:_

Peyton was neither sure how long she had been sleeping when she woke up nor what exactly had disturbed her sleep, though in the end she decided that both was pretty much irrelevant.

Eventually opening her eyes and sitting up she noticed that Mac was no longer lying next to her, not that that fact was surprising her all too much, after all, she knew how restless he could be.

After another moment of contemplation she slipped out of the bed and got quickly dressed before leaving the bedroom and starting to look for Mac.

When she didn't find him in the living-room she paused and frowned for a moment, eventually she headed to the kitchen, thinking he might be there, but no such luck. Frowning once more she closed for a second or two her eyes, wondering where Mac could be.

Releasing a low sigh she opened her eyes again. Turning to leave the kitchen and return to the living-room Peyton stopped in her tracks as she noticed a note lying on the kitchen-table.

Stepping closer to the table she took the piece of paper into her right hand and read what was written on it.

_I had to get to the hospital for some more tests. Afterwards I will talk with Aubrey. _

_Mac_

Re-reading the short note Peyton frowned slightly, being incapable of denying that the mentioning of the other woman's name caused a wave of jealousy to race through her. Sure, she knew that she didn't have a reason to be jealous, that Mac had meant it when he had told her that he still loved her, but as irrational as it was - she simply couldn't help it...

After another moment she released a sigh, put the note back onto the table and went to the living-room.

_Meanwhile:_

Taking a short glance at his watch Mac let out a sigh and got lost in his thoughts.

Mac wasn't sure how much time had passed when he was disturbed in his thoughts by the sound of the door being opened followed by Aubrey's slightly concerned voice.

"You're okay, Mac?"

Lifting his head and looking at her he stated,

"Yeah, just thinking..."

She gave him a doubtful glance but didn't question his reply, instead she only wanted to know,

"How have you been feeling the passed few days?"

Watching her walking over to a row of cabinets and opening a drawer Mac replied,

"Okay, I guess..."

Aubrey looked for a moment at him before taking something out of the drawer. Closing it and approaching him she asked,

"The pain-killers are working?" Seeing him nod in response she added,

"Any side-effects like headache, insomnia, stomach troubles...?"

"No." Mac said, observing how she put the blood pressure cuff onto the table next to the hospital-bed he was sitting on.

As she reached for his left wrist to check his pulse Mac frowned and after a moment of thinking he broke the silence,

"Listen Aubrey, I was wondering if we could talk when you're done, maybe over a cup of coffee?"

Letting go of his wrist and jotting the result down Aubrey remained silent for a few seconds, before she looked back at him and replied,

"Eh, sure, Mac... I wanted to take a break anyway." She paused, then she inquired slightly hesitant,

"Anything in particular you wanna talk about?"

Looking at her Mac frowned momentarily then he stated,

"I'll tell you later."

Hearing that she frowned herself, carefully studying his face, but instead of saying anything she only nodded slightly.

For a few minutes it was silent in the room, while Aubrey checked his blood-pressure. Eventually Mac asked,

"So, what's the verdict? When can I get back to work?"

At that Aubrey sighed and giving him a look she told him,

"Mac, it's been just a week since someone tried to kill you. You're lucky that you're only having a few broken ribs and a sprained wrist - you could be paralyzed or even dead after a fall like that. Right now you should be more concerned about your health..."

"Precisely, and being not allowed to do anything beside sitting around wasting my time is driving me out of my mind." Mac pointed out.

Aubrey released another sigh and shook slightly her head, then she stated,

"A broken bone doesn't heal over night, Mac... It's gonna be at least another three weeks before you can get back to work and even then you should still take it slow."

Hearing that Mac couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh, but decided not to bother arguing about it.

_About fifteen minutes later at a near-by diner:_

Once they had taken a seat in a booth next to the row of windows in the front of the diner Mac got lost in his thoughts for another time, being barely aware of how a waitress came to them and took their orders or how she brought them their coffees.

"So, what did you wanna talk about with me?" Aubrey broke after some time the silence.

Mac frowned for a moment, thinking about how to approach the topic, eventually he asked,

"You remember how I told you about Peyton?" Seeing Aubrey nod slightly he took a deep breath and added,

"Well, she's back in New York..."

For a second or two a surprised expression appeared on her face, then she mused,

"And you want to give it a second try." She gave him a questioning glance.

"Yeah..." Mac stated.

They both remained silent for a moment then Aubrey said, a small smile on her lips,

"Well, judging by what you told me you've been very happy with her..."

Studying her face while she was speaking Mac noticed in her eyes something he couldn't quite decipher and for a moment he wondered if Peyton might have been right with what she had said earlier.

After a couple of minutes of slightly awkward silence Aubrey spoke up again, apparently having noticed that he was completely lost in his thoughts,

"You're okay?"

Snapping out of his thoughts Mac looked at her and gave a slight nod. She gave him a doubtful glance and they locked eyes for a moment.

Another moment passed in silence, though this time it wasn't some tense awkward silence, yet it wasn't really comfortable either, before they started talking about all kinds of random things while they were finishing their coffees.

_At Mac's apartment, around 3:50 PM:_

When he entered his apartment and closed the door behind him Mac couldn't help thinking back to his conversation with Aubrey, to when he had told her that Peyton was back. He still wasn't quite sure of what to make of her reaction nor was he sure of the meaning behind the expression on her face in that moment. For a few seconds Peyton's words echoed once more through his mind and he frowned slighty, but eventually he decided to just stop thinking this much about it.

After another second or two he took off his shoes and headed to the living-room. Entering the room and seeing Peyton sitting on the couch a smile formed on his face. Noticing that she was completely lost in her thoughts he stopped and simply observed her for a while. However, only a minute or two later he started moving again and went over to her.

Just as he had almost reached her Peyton snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him, apparently having heard him approaching.

"Hey..." She greeted, smiling softly as she watched him closing the remaining space between them.

"Hey yourself..." Mac stated, his smile widening, and sat down to her right.

They both remained silent for the time being. Seeing how Peyton got lost in her thoughts again, Mac lifted his left hand and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, letting his hand linger on her cheek for a few seconds.

Peyton lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, yet he still noticed how a small, thoughtful frown appeared on her face. Another minute or two later she took a deep breath and broke the silence.

"You really want me to come back?" She asked quietly and a second later she looked back up at him.

Noticing the expression of uncertainty in her eyes Mac reached for her face again and caressing tenderly her cheek he replied,

"Of course I want you to come back. I love you, Peyton..." With that he leaned closer and gave her a soft kiss onto her forehead, causing her to close her eyes for a moment.

When he straigthened up he put his left arm around her and drew her toward him. Snuggling closer to him Peyton leaned her head against his shoulder, resting her left hand on his chest, and closed her eyes again.

After a short while Mac turned sightly his head and kissed her onto her forehead, before he wanted to know,

"So, what were you doing while I was gone?"

"I was thinking..." Peyton said quietly.

"About what?" Mac inquired.

Peyton took a deep breath and replied,

"About the fact that I will have to apply for a job at the ME's Office, that I will have to find a new apartment here in New York..." She trailed off.

"Well, you could stay with me." Mac offered.

Opening her eyes Peyton pulled slightly back to look at him and muttered,

"Mac..." She released a low sigh, letting her head hang once more she told him,

"I don't think that would be such a good idea. After all, I know that you need your space and I simply don't want to rush things. I mean, I love you and I wanna give it another try, but we haven't seen each other in years and..." She paused for a moment, then she added,

"I just think it would be better to take it slow..."

Moving his left hand to Peyton's face and starting to caress her cheek Mac frowned, thinking about what she had said. Eventually he nodded slightly and stated,

"Okay..."

Lifting her head Peyton frowned and inquired quietly,

"You're not mad, are you?"

At that Mac smiled and replied,

"No, Peyton, I'm not mad. After all, you're right..." He paused for a moment and kissed her softly onto her forehead,

"Okay?"

A small smile appeared on Peyton's face and giving a slight nod she mumbled,

"Yeah, Mac."

"Good." Mac said, tucking a strand of hair behind her right ear, then he leaned closer and gave her a soft kiss.

Resting her hands at the back of his neck Peyton drew Mac's face closer, deepening the kiss slightly.

When they broke the kiss a moment later they locked eyes and shared a smile. Putting his left arm around Peyton's waist Mac reached with his right hand for her face, letting his fingertips brush softly over her cheek. At his featherlike touch Peyton's smile widened and her eyes flew shut.

_Tbc_

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Thanks for reading, I hope you liked this chapter and that it was at least slightly worth the long waiting... And just for the record - getting this chapter done was a major challenge (to say the least), beside the fact that it took me ages to get it done I got stuck over and over again, it was driving me up the wall, so I'd really appreciate to get some feedback - even if you only review to let me know that this chapter sucked..._


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